Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

The month of March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and East Riding of Yorkshire Council is supporting this campaign to offer advice and support on how to recognise signs and symptoms, and where to get help.

When a woman is diagnosed at the earliest stage, her chance of surviving ovarian cancer for five years or more doubles from just 46% to more than 90%.

Laurie Fergusson, public health lead for healthy lifestyles at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “Occasionally there can be other symptoms such as changes in bowel habits, extreme fatigue (feeling very tired), unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite.

“If you are worried about your health, or think you may have any of the symptoms explained above, you should always consult your GP – especially if your symptoms are frequent, persistent or new.”

– 41 new cases of OC in ERY residents in 2014 (an average of 43 a year, over the last 10 years)

– The age standardised rate of new cases of ovarian cancer since 2001 is on the decrease, following National trends,

– In 2014 the age standardised rate of new cases of OC was lower than the equivalent rate for England

MORTALITY:

– 30 deaths in 2014 from OC (an average of 26 deaths per year, over the past 10 years)

– The age standardised rate of deaths from ovarian cancer is on the decrease since 2001, following National trends.

– In 2014 the age standardised rate of deaths from OC was higher than the equivalent rate for England, but this was considered an unusual year as ERY rates are usually lower than the England equivalent.